- The Andalusian, Canary Islands and Madrid Fundación Cepsa Chairs meet virtually at the 4th Inter-Chair Meeting
- The chairs join forces to promote research and innovation projects together with universities
The meeting was attended by the directors of the Fundación Cepsa Chairs at the University of Seville (US), Benito Navarrete; the University of Huelva (UHU), Inés Garbayo; the University of La Laguna (ULL) in the Canary Islands, Andrea Brito; the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), Ramón Rodríguez; and the director of the Chair of the University of Cadiz (UCA), Francisco Trujillo. The coordinator of the Company's Research Center and the heads of the Fundación Cepsa in Spain also took part.
Francisco Elorza, Professor of Geological and Mining Engineering, representing the Polytechnic University of Madrid, was in charge of opening the session. He highlighted that 60% of the master's degree students at this educational center are linked to the Fundación Cepsa Chair. Ramón Rodríguez continued the presentation, stating that in 2020 the first call for research on topics of interest to the Chair was held. Eleven projects related to energy storage, biofuels or hydrogen mobility, among other issues, were presented. Five proposals were selected in the end for these grants.
Inés Garbayo pointed out that despite the pandemic, it was possible to adapt and carry out the Alumnos 10C program online, enabling 25 UHU students to be trained in the cross-cutting competencies demanded by companies today. The program was a pioneer in Spain in its day. In addition, this edition has increased the participation of students from science and engineering degree programs. Meanwhile, Benito Navarrete, director of the Chair at the University of Seville, said that he plans to carry out this year's training courses online, increasing the number of participating students. He also said that a series of conferences on energy transition is being held at the University of Seville through the Chair, which was inaugurated last February by Cepsa's Refining Director Antonio Joyanes.
Francisco Trujillo was represented by the head of Fundación Cepsa in the Campo de Gibraltar, Estrella Blanco, who reported on progress in the audiovisual course being produced about the refining industry, which could be completed this year. Andrea Brito, professor of Chemical Engineering, highlighted, among the many initiatives being carried out in this Chair between the Fundación Cepsa and the ULL, that the TeideSat project, through which a nanosatellite is being built, continues to be developed, and that a research project is being conducted focused on processing used cooking oils and other non-food fats in diesel hydrotreating units, which will involve a stay at the Cepsa Research Center. This is the first industrial doctorate of the Fundación Cepsa Chair in La Laguna and the second one developed at this University.
The Fundación Cepsa Chairs
Fundación Cepsa Chairs at the Universities of Cadiz, Huelva, Seville, La Laguna, and Polytechnic of Madrid are continually strengthened thanks to the contributions and involvement of the Company's professionals and the academic institutions committed to improving research, training, knowledge flow and innovation.
Fundación Cepsa Chairs have allowed thousands of students to approach the labor world and bring university professors closer to the reality of the energy and chemical sectors. The exchange of knowledge and experience between Cepsa professionals, university teachers, and students has meant, for two decades, the professional enrichment of all of them. For all these reasons, today Cepsa is a great ally of said universities.